history from 1920!
by: Angela Adler
external image flapper.jpg external image kkk.jpg
By 1865 All the African American slaves were freed in American although the no longer were considered slaves they were not considered equal to the white man. They had a long battle ahead of them but the black society flourished in the 1920’s. The Africa American population in the northern city’s doubled in 1920. (B. Davis Schwartz Memorial Library) In the 1920’s the Ku Klux Klan grew to 4.5 million members in 1924. The Ku Klux Klan or more commonly known as the KKK were a group of American whites who hated and killed immigrants such as African Americans, Asians, Jews and many others. Plus many riots broke out killing 60 African Americans. (B. Davis Schwartz Memorial Library) However not all of the 1920’s were bad. The 1920’s is well known for the jazz era full of illegal drinking, and fantastic inventions. Flappers came to be about in this time, these girls were the party goers of this time. Some of these Parties were held for and hosted completely by blacks, which is where the famous “Charleston” dance move was invented (a black parties). (B. Davis Schwartz Memorial Library) In 1922 an anti-lynching bill was passed. A Black men entered congress, and another went to the Olympics. However even with these accomplishments, black people were still discriminated against and most white people in both the north and south ignored them, treated them as if they weren’t there. As if they were invisible.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P5kCrXsBQo4&feature=related


WHY i picked 1920's?
In this book no real dates are given so no one really knows the time period they are in. I assumed the 1920’s because it had to be a time with segregation, and in the book it mentions “Zoot-suiters” (Ellison 474) They are jazz guys which made me believe the book was based on 1920’s the jazz decade. It was also in the time of segregation for this was the year Martin Luther King Jr. was born. That’s why I made the assumption of the year.